Mill entry box



June 15, 1937. r s BERG 2,083,660

MILL ENTRY BOX Filed Jan. 5; 1934 3 Sheets-Sheetl S. NYBERG MILL ENTRY BOX June 15, 1937.

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5 for the rolling of Patented June 15, 1937 PATENT, OFFICE MILL ENTRY BOX Stone Nyberg, Dover,

Steel Company, Dover,

West Virginia Application January 5, 1934', Serial No.

10 Claims.

The invention relates to guide serting the ends of metal. strips-or sheets into the bite of the rolls of rolling mills and is'more especially adapted for use upon cold rolling mills strips or sheets of steel and the like, and more particularly upon roughing mills or mills for cold rolling strips or sheets of heavy gauge metal.

In the cold rolling of metal strips and sheets 1 and especially where heavier gauges of metal are being worked or where the strips or sheets are passed through the roughing mill, considerable difflculty is experienced in inserting the end of the strip or sheet into the bite oi the rolls of the mill 15 and it frequently requires the services of several workmen and a considerable amount of. time to start a new strip or sheet through the mill.

.The object of the present .improvement is to provide a traveling guide box by means or which I 0 the endof a strip or sheet may be quickly and easily guided into the bite of the rolls of the mill.

- A further object of the improvement is to provide a cylinder operated guide box over which the end portion of the strip or sheet is adapted to be placed, a cylinder operated gripper being carried by the guide the strip or sheet tightly upon the instant the guide box is moved toward the box and adapted to grip rolls of the mill and to automatically release the 1 o strip or sheet as the end thereof is inserted into the bite of the rolls.

Another object is to provide a cylinder operated wiper arranged to be moved into operative position simultaneously with the operation of the 85 guide box and gripper.

0 cylinder to release 0 roughing mill, showing A still further object is to provide a gripper which will automatically release the strip or sheet 3 as soon as the end of the same is received into the bite of the-rolls, in event of failure of the gripper the gripper at the proper time.

The above, together with other objects which will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings and the following description, or which may be later pointed out, may be attained by construting the mill entry box in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved mill entry box applied to a four-high the parts in the initial position with a strip or sheet in position to be fl pp d and entered into the bite of the rolls:

Fig. 2, a detail sectional view of a portion of the guide for the traveling guide box, taken as on means for inverse webs or flanges guide box, indicated generally at I8, is

the guide box at Ohio, a corporation of Fig. 3, a section similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in the operative position;

Fig. 4, a detail section of the valve which controls the travel cylinder and the wiper cylinders, taken as on the line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a detail elevation of the valve which controls the gripper cylinder; and

vFig. 6, a plan view of the entry box. I

[Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

Portions of the housing of a four-high roughing mill for cold rolling of strips or sheets of steel and thelike are indicated generally at Ill. .the mill being provided with the usual reducing rolls II and backing rolls l2 as in ordinary practice. r 1

A guide bracket including a bed plate i3, transand an attaching flange or web i5 is located between the housings l0 and attached thereto as by screws l6 located through the flange l5. Guideways l1 are formed at the side edges of the bed plate i3 andthe sliding slidab y mounted upon the bed plate l3 and provided with guide ribs i9 slidable within the guide grooves II. A plate 20 of brass or the like is mounted upon the bottom of the traveling guide box l3, the upper surface of the plate being in the plane of the pass line of the mill.

The travel cylinder 2!, which may be of any suitable design of fluid operated cylinder, is supported beneath the guide box, preferably by means of the flanges 22 connected to the bed plate i3 as by the screws 23. The piston 24 of this cylinder may be provided at its outer end with the enlargement or boss 25 connected, as by a pin 26, to the depending ear 21 formed upon or attached to the underside of the guide box i3.

For the purpose of operating the fluid cylinder 2|, a double acting valve is provided and is located within the valve cylinder 28. A pipe 29 connects one end of the cylinder 2| with one end of the valve cylinder 28 and a similar pipe 30 connects the other end of-the cylinder 2! with the other end of the valve cylinder whereby fluid may be conveyed from the valve to either end of the cylinder 2i in order to operate the piston thereof in either direction as desired.

The valve cylinder 28 is provided with integral attaching ears or lugs 3i for connecting the valve to one of the mill housings l0 as by the screws 32. A removable head 33 may be attached to each end of the valve cylinder 28 and each head is providpd withan exhaust port 34. In the event air is used for the fluid for operatlngthe cylinder,

it is, of course, unnecessary to connect any return pipes to the exhaust ports 34 as the air may be exhausted from the valve into the atmosphere.

A valve piston is slidably mounted within the 5 valve cylinder and may comprise the reduced central portion 35 and the enlarged end portions 36 which may be -provided with piston rings 31 of usual construction in order to prevent leakage of fluid around either end of the valve piston. A

fluid supply pipe 38 leading from a suitable source, which may be compressed air, communicates with the central portion of the valve cylinder 28 and is adapted to be conveyed from the valve cylinder through the pipe 29 or 30 as desired.

In the position of the valve piston shown in Fig. 4, the fluid from the supply pipe 38 is conveyed through the pipe 30 to move the piston 24 of the cylinder 2| inward or to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, permitting the fluid from the inner end of the cylinder 2I to return through the pipe 29 to the right-hand end of the valve cylinder 28 4 and to exhaust through the corresponding exhaust port 34.

It will be seen that by moving the valve piston to the right, as viewed in Fig. 4, so that the enlarged portion 36 at the left-hand end thereof is located between the pipe 90 and the supply pipe 38, the fluid will be conveyed from the valve cylinder through the pipe 29 to the inner or lefthand end of the cylinder 2i, moving the piston 24 thereof outward or to the right as shown in Fig. 1 and permitting the fluid to return from the outer or right-hand end of the cylinder H through the pipe 30 to the left-hand end of the valve cylinder 28 and to exhaust through the corresponding exhaust port 34.

Manually controlled valves d5 may be provided in the pipes 29 and 30 whereby the amount of fluid conveyed from the valve to either end of the cylinder 2| may be regulated in order to control the speed of operation of the piston 24.

In order to operate the valve, the piston rod 4I thereof is pivotally connected as at 42 to a link 43, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected as at 44 to a rocker arm 45 fixed upon a rocker shaft 46 journaled in bearings 4'! mounted upon the floor in front of the mill, treadles 49 and 49 being fixed to opposite sides of said rocker 50 shaft in position to be operated by the workmans foot.

A gripping device is carried by the sliding guide box and adapted to grip the strip or sheet as the guide box is moved toward the rolls and to instantly release the strip as the end of the same is entered into the bite of the rolls, a cylinder 50 being provided for operating said'gripping device.

This cylinder is supported above the guide box by means of the stool 5| having the central open- 0 ing 52 through which the cylinder is located.

A'peripheral flange 53 is formed upon the cylinder and connected to the stool as by the bolts 54. The cylinder 50 is provided with a piston 55 having a head 56 upon its lower end to which is 5 pivoted as at 51 the flange 58 of the gripper foot 59, acoil spring 60 being located between the head 56 and the gripper foot to normally hold the foot in slidable contact with the upright flange GI formed upon the top of the guide box 7 adjacent to the opening 62 therein through which the gripper foot is adapted to be moved.

For the purpose of operating the gripper, a double acting .valve is provided, being housed within a cylinder 53 and located adjacent to the 7 cylinder 50. The valve cylinder 63 is provided with an attaching flange 64 adapted to be connected as by the bolts 55 to the bracket 65 which is mounted upon the top of the guide box as by the screws 61.

A pipe 68 connects the upper end ofthe valve cylinder with the upper end of the cylinder 53 and a pipe 59 connects the lower ends of the two cylinders. a fluid supply pipe I0, leading from a suitable source of compressed air or the like communicating with the central portion of the valve cylinder. This valve cylinder is provided with a piston similar to that shown in detail in' Fig. 4 and the piston rod 1| is provided at its lower end with an L-shaped head 12 between which and the lower end of the valve cylinder is located a coil spring 13 arranged to normally urge the valve piston downward within the valve cylinder.

A roller 14 is preferably located at the lower end of the L-head 12 and a guide rod 15 is carried by said L-head and slidably located through a guide opening I6 which may be formed in the attaching flange 64 or other portion which is stationary relative to the valve cylinder.

A stool 11 may be mounted upon the top of the guide box, being connected thereto as by the screws 18 located through the feet I9 of the legs of the stool for the purpose of supporting a wiper block 8I- which may be operated through the slot 82 in the top of the guide box. A screw 83, provided at its upper end with a hand wheel 84, is located through the internally threaded boss 85 formed at the central portion of the stool TI, the lower end of said screw being swiveled within a block 86 fixed upon the bar 81 to which the wiper block 8| is clamped as by the shoulder 88 and clamping bar 89. Guide pins 90 may be carried by the bar 81 and slidably located through the guide bosses TI so as to prevent turning movement bar 81.

A pair of brackets 92 are welded or otherwise fixed upon the entry bracket I3 and support the lower wiper bar 93 brackets as by the screws 94. The lower wiper block 95 is attached to the bar 93 as by the shoulder 96 and clamping plate 91 which is removably secured to the bar as by the screws 98. The upper surface of the wiping block 95 is covered with canvas or the like as indicated at 99 and arranged to contact with the under surface of the strip or sheet indicated at I00.

An upper wiper block IOI, having its under surface covered by canvas or the like as at I02, is connected to the upper wiper bar I03 as by the of the shoulder I04 and clamping plate I05 connected to the wiper bar by the screw I06. The upper wiper bar I03 is provided at opposite end portions with upwardly extending lugs I01 attached by means of screws I03 to the outer ends of the wiper arms I09, the inner ends of which are pivoted to the housings I0 as by the bolts III. Braces II2 may be attached to the wiper arms and upper wiper bar to provide a rigid structure.

A central lug I I3 is formed upon the upper side of the upper wiper bar I03 and the shaft H4 is journaled through said central lug and the end lugs I01. The wiper cylinders II5 are mounted upon brackets II6 secured to the front faces of the housings III as by screws II! and the pistons IIB thereof are provided at their lower ends with the bearing portions I I9 through which the shaft -I I4 is located.

Branch pipes 29 and 30' are connected to the pipes 29 and 30 respectively, and lead to oppo- 9I formed in the stool which is connected to said site ends of the cylinders H5, manually operated valves 40 being located in said branch pipes for manually regulating the speed of operation of the pistons H8.

A lifter arm I20 is fulcrumed as at I2I upon a bracket I0 and provided with a lifter finger I23 adapted to engage the roller 14 upon the lower end of the gripper valve piston II. The outer end of the lifter arm I is pivotally connected to the upper end of a vertical link I24, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a rocker arm I fixed upon the rocker shaft 46.

With the parts in the initial position as shown 15 in Fig. 1, the end portion of the strip or sheet is inserted through the guide box to the position shown in said figure. The treadle 49 is then depressed and through the rocker arm 45 and link .43 the valve piston is operated, reversing the 20 iiow of fluid to the travel cylinder 2| and the wiper cylinders II5.

Fluid entering the valve cylinder 28 from the supply pipe 38 is conveyed through the pipe 30 and branch pipes 30 to the upper ends of the wiper 25 cylinders H5, moving the wiper pistons H8 downward and thereby moving the upper wiper bar I03 and block IOI downward into contact with the strip or sheet I00 as shown in Fig. 3, so that any grease or oil upon the surfaces of the strip or 80 sheet is wiped therefrom as the strip or sheet travels between the upper and lower blocks IM and 95 respectively.

At the same time, the fluid passing up through the pipe .30 to the travel cylinder 2I moves the 85 piston 24* thereof to the left or to the position shown in Fig. 3, carrying with it the guide box I8, as shown.

Simultaneously with the depression of the treadle 49, the link I24 and lifter arm I20 will have raised the lifter finger I23 to the position shown in Fig. 3, raising the piston II of the gripper valve 63 so as to reverse the flow of fluid to the gripper cylinder 50, permitting the fluid entering the valve cylinder 63, from the supply pipe 5 10, to pass out therefrom through the pipe 68 to the upper end of the gripper cylinder 50, forcing the gripper piston downward and clamping the gripper foot 59 upon the top surface of the strip or sheet I00, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 3.

0 Thus, as the guide box I8 is moved to the left by the travel cylinder, the strip or sheet will be clamped thereto by means of the gripper foot 50 and the end of the strip or sheet will be entered into the bite of the reducing rolls II.

As the roller I4 rides off of the end of the lifter finger I23 the spring 13 will instantly move the valve piston 'II downward to the normal position, reversing the flow of fluid to the gripper cylinder and causing the fluid entering the valve cylinder 00 from the supply pipe I0 to pass downwardthrough the pipe 69 to the lower end of the gripper cylinder 50, immediately raising the piston 55 thereof and moving the gripper foot 59 upward away from the strip or sheet, to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

The parts will then remain in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 until the strip or sheet has been passed through the mill, after which the parts may be reset to the initial position shown in Fig. 1 by depressing the treadle 40. This again reverses the operation of the valve 28 and lowers the lifting finger I23 below the roller 14 of the gripper piston 'II so that as the guide box is moved back to the right, the valve 03 is not operated. Therefore, the gripper foot 50 will I22 mounted upon one of the housings remain in its upper position, as the parts are moved to the initial or starting position.

The wiper block 8| as above described is hand operated, and need not be used unless the strip or sheet is unduly buckled, in which event this wiper block may be screwed down tightly upon the top of the sheet during the rolling operation.

I claim:

1. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end portion of a metal strip or sheet to be rolled. a treadle, means operated by the treadle for gripping the strip or sheet upon the guide box, means operated by the treadle for moving the guide box toward the rolls of the mill and entering the end of the strip or sheet between the rolls, and means for then releasing the strip or sheet from the guide box.

2. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end portion of a strip or sheet to be rolled, strip gripper means upon the guide box, a fluid operated gripper cylinder for operating the gripper means, a fluid operated travel cylinder for moving the guide box toward the rolls of the mill, a treadle for operating both cylinders to enter the end of the strip or sheet between the rolls, and means for then operating the gripper cylinder for releasing the gripper means.

3. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end portion of a metal strip or sheet to be rolled, strip gripper means upon the guide box, a fluid operated gripper cylinder for operating the gripper means, a fluid operated travel cylinder for moving the guide box toward the rolls of the mill, a treadle for operating the travel cylinder, a lifter finger operatively connected to the treadle for operating the gripper cylinder to enter the end of the strip or sheet between the rolls, and means for then operating the gripper cylinder for releasing the gripper means. i

4. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end'portion sheet ,to be rolled, strip gripper means upon the guide box, a fluid operated gripper cylinder for operating the gripper means, a valve for controlling the gripper cylinder, a fluid operated travel cylinder for moving the guide box toward the rolls of the mill, a valve for-controlling the travel cylinder, a treadle operatively connected to the last named valve, and a lifter finger operatively connected to the treadle for operating the first named valve.

5. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end portion of a metal strip or sheet to be rolled, strip gripper means upon the guide box, a fluid operated gripper cylinder for operating the gripper means, a valve for controlling the gripper cylinder, a fluid operated travel cylinder for moving the guide box toward the rolls of the mill, a valve for controlling the travel cylinder, a treadle operatively connected to the last named valve, a lifter flnger operatively connected to the treadle for operating the first named valve, and spring means for then operating the first named valve in opposite direction.

6. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end portion of a metal strip or sheet to be rolled, a stationary wiper bar arranged to support the strip. or sheet in front of of a metal strip or,

the guide box, a vertically movable wiper bar above the strip or sheet, a fluid operated wiper cylinder for operating the movable wiper bar, strip gripper means upon the guide box, a fluid 5 operated gripper cylinder for operating the gripper means, a fluid operated travel cylinder for moving the guide box toward the rolls of the mill, and means for operating all of said cylinders to lower the movable wiper bar upon the strip or sheet and to grip the strip or sheet and enter the end of the same between the rolls of the mill. l

7. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end portion of a metal strip or.

sheet to be rolled, a stationary wiper bar arranged to support the strip or sheet in front of the guide box, a vertically movable wiper bar above the strip or sheet, a fluid operated wiper cylinder for operating the movable wiper bar, strip gripper means upon the guide box, a fluid operated gripper cylinder for operating the gripper means, a fluid operated travel cylinder for moving the guide box toward the rolls of the mill, means for operating all of said cylinders to lower the movable wiper bar upon the strip or sheet and to grip the strip or sheet and enter the end of the same between the rolls of the mill, and means for then operating the gripper cylinder to release the gripper means. I

8. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end portion'of a metal strip or sheet to be rolled, a stationary wiper bar arranged to support the strip or sheet in front of the guide box, a vertically movable wiper bar above the strip or sheet, a fluid operated wiper cylinder for operating the movable wiper bar, strip gripper means upon the guide box, a fluid 40 operated gripper cylinder for operating the gripper means, a fluid operated travel cylinder for moving the guide box toward the rolls of the mill, a treadle, ,and means operated by said treadle for operating all of said cylinders to lower the movable wiper bar upon the strip or sheet and to grip the strip or sheet and enter the end of the same between the rolls of the mill.

9. In combination with a cold rolling mill, a guide box at the entry side of the mill arranged to receive the end portion of ametal strip or sheet to be rolled, a stationary wiper bar arranged to support the strip or sheet in front of the guide box, a vertically movable wiper bar above the strip or sheet, a fluid operated wiper cylinder for operating the movable wiper bar, strip gripper means upon the guide box, a fluid operated gripper cylinder for operating the gripper means, a fluid operated travel cylinder for moving the guide box towardthe rolls of the mill, a treadle, means operated by said treadle for operating all of said cylinders to lower the movable wiper bar upon the strip or sheet and to grip the strip or sheet and enter the end of the same between the rolls of the mill, and spring means for then reversing the operation of the gripper cylinder to release the gripper means.

10. A combined sticker and drag for forcibly feeding material to be rolled into a rolling mill comprising a carriage mounted for movement toward and from a mill, tensioning means on said carriage for engaging and resisting the passage of a piece of stock therethrough, cooperating means mounted on said carriage in advance of said tensioning means for gripping and sticking the forward end of the material into the mill, and means automatically operable at a predetermined point in the movement of the carriage toward the mill for releasing said gripping means- STON E NYBERG. 

